Snowbanks
by Elias Pedro
Summary: Traveling to Canada, Francis Suzuki believes he brought all he needs to perform with an orchestra - ample baggage, a Hanafuda deck and his violin. Fate however would add one more to that list - a friend, or maybe something more. Backstory to FCP!
1. The Chance Encounter

**Author's Notes:** Hello everyone! I wasn't exactly able to mention it in the story description, no thanks to the word limit, but this is a story that takes place in between Time Out! Substitution! and Full Court Press! It's a little story that was left implied that I decided to go and publish as a supplementary read to FCP - it still is a standalone story though, make no mistake. So with that, I hope you enjoy this little side tale I call 'Snowbanks'. Feedback is welcome as always!

* * *

**Snowbanks**

**Chapter 1**

It was the early winter in the Western Osaka District, a month after the fateful events of the Cultural Festival. Satoshi Tainaka and Ui Hirasawa, now roughly a month into their relationship, sat with Jun Suzuki and her brother Francis Suzuki at the platform of the District rail station. Jun and the couple were there to see Francis off as he took a train to Tokyo where he would catch a plane to his second home Canada. The train that would take the half-Canadian there however had yet to arrive so the four of them passed the time with a game of Hanafuda.

Hanafuda was Francis' favorite card game, the couple would quickly find out, and he was a self-proclaimed master of the game. Francis had taken on all three of them one by one and had never once lost a game to either of them. Satoshi got pretty close after completing a Cup and Cherry Blossom combination but he ended up losing after facing a feverish plains comeback from Francis. Before long, the train rolled into the station and the half-Canadian boy prepared to leave.

Francis bid farewell to the three, promising to bring the lot of them some souvenirs then went on to board the train. Accompanying him on the trip was a battered-looking but sturdy suitcase, the Hanafuda set he had just played with moments ago, the dilapidated notebook that still had a handful of clear, unused pages and the violin case which carried Francis' violin named Fraulein. His trip to back to Canada wouldn't be a leisurely sightseeing tour after all. He was there to perform as one of the violinists of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and this was his first year to perform. Taking all of his luggage with him, Francis walked with pride down to the last train car and claimed a window seat at the very end.

All the cars of the train filled up rather quickly and it soon became clear that the train would be a tad bit overcrowded. Thankfully, Francis thought, he had gotten there early and all his luggage took up the space of the seat beside his. That basically meant that he had that corner all to himself. However, a sixteen year old girl with flowing blond hair, bright blue eyes and thick eyebrows found herself in the middle of the scuffle and was desperately trying to find a seat.

The girl naturally searched the front of the first car first before gradually emerging at the end of the last car where Francis and his luggage were entrenched. The train then started to move and the girl looked a little bit worried, unsure if she would be able to stand upright aboard a bullet train.

"Excuse me, miss." Francis then said, setting aside his luggage, "There's actually a seat here… if you don't mind sitting in between these luggage."

The girl turned to him looking surprised before replying with a kind smile.

"Why thank you." She said, hurrying onto the seat before she lost her balance, "This is very much appreciated Mr.…?"

"Suzuki." Francis introduced, extending his hand, "Francis Suzuki."

"Francis Suzuki?" The girl gasped, "If you don't mind me asking, would you happen to be a half-Canadian?"

"I sure am." Francis replied, switching to English, "English is my first language, eh? Japanese is my third."

"What's your second language?"

"Français est la langue."

"Vraiment, Monsieur Suzuki?" The girl said eagerly, "Je peux parler français aussi!"

Hearing her speak like that intrigued the half-Canadian. It wasn't everyday he got to meet someone who spoke French, English and Japanese with equal proficiency. Judging by the way she looked too, he figured she might know some other European languages too.

"Anyways." Francis said, reverting to his native English, "Why did you ask if I was half-Canadian?"

"Oh, that's because I'm a member of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and I just recently heard that a half-Canadian violinist was recruited just two weeks ago." The girl explained, "I saw the violin case and I thought…"

"Well, yes. That would be me too." Francis confirmed

"That's strange." The girl then noted, "I haven't seen you at the practices. Do you go regularly?"

"Yeah, I go regularly." Francis replied, "It's just that I'm the type that leaves as soon as practice is over. I'm pretty much invisible so it's no wonder you haven't seen me."

"You're clearly not invisible now, though." The girl chuckled

"I can't exactly leave someone to stand on a moving bullet train when I've got an empty seat right next to me, now can I?" Francis laughed, "In any case, it seems we will be travelling together from hereon out. It is very nice to meet you Miss…"

"The name is Tsumugi Kotobuki." The girl introduced, "And yes, it is very nice to meet you too."

**To Be Continued**


	2. Someone Interesting, Perhaps?

****

****

**Snowbanks**

**Chapter 2**

A half-Canadian boy and a half-Finnish girl sat together at the back row of the last car of a bullet train bound for Tokyo. Stacked between them were the boy's violin case and some of the girl's luggage which more or less separated them. However, it wasn't piled up high enough to hide their faces or to stop the two from having a chat.

After taking turns to introduce each other, talking about their nationalities, their hometowns of Halifax and Helsinki respectively, Francis and Tsumugi quickly found a lot of common ground between them. Whenever Francis tells something to Tsumugi, the girl would respond with keen interest. She would then talk about another topic of her own to which Francis acted similarly.

"You like hockey too, Kotobuki-san?"

"I do." Tsumugi replied with a smile, "I used to watch our national team play back at home and I rooted for them at the Winter Olympics."

"Oh really? That's nice." Francis said approvingly, happy to talk to someone who appreciated their country's national hockey team, "It's always good to support your national team."

"We only placed third though... unlike some country." Tsumugi complained, puffing up her face and making the half-Canadian laugh. The girl then laughed as well and consoled herself saying that Canada and Finland didn't play against each other at the 2010 Winter Olympics and that Canada showed the United States who was boss on the rink.

Moving on to another topic again, the two of them had more or less forgotten that they were on a train or that they had been (almost) completely strangers roughly an hour and a half ago. Their train arrived at Tokyo station and the two emerged from the train dragging their luggage along and still rambling on about whatever came across their minds. Once they arrived at Narita airport though, the two had to part. Francis was flying to Vancouver through Air Canada while Tsumugi had a ticket for a Japan Airlines flight.

"Well, it was nice talking to you on the train Suzuki-kun." The girl said appreciatively, "I guess we will be seeing each other again in Montreal then."

"Yeah, it was nice." Francis said, a little disappointed, "See you in Montreal."

The two of them parted ways and Francis headed on over to the check-in counter of Air Canada to have his violin case checked in.

"Please be careful with it." Francis advised as the man behind the counter put Fraulein and her case on the baggage conveyor belt, "She means a lot to me, y'hear?"

The counter attendant then slapped on a 'fragile' sticker onto the violin case and set it carefully on the conveyor belt where it rolled into the loading bay and out of sight. Francis got his boarding pass and other supporting documents and went on over to security to get to the gates. To his surprise, his companion had already made it past the line up for the security check and was already walking through the metal detector. She cleared. A little puzzled, Francis just slid his hands into his coat pockets and waited for his line to move. Fifteen minutes into his waiting, an announcement was broadcast over the PA system saying that a Japan Airlines flight bound for Vancouver was already on last call. Francis figured that security let Tsumugi through early since she might have missed her flight. Nonetheless, that meant that he probably wouldn't catch up to her for a pre-flight chat. It was disappointing, but he had expected it.

He had come to Narita Airport knowing that he would be flying to Vancouver alone in a cramped Air Canada coach-class seat, probably in between two people he didn't know. Judging by the seat code on his boarding pass, he realized that that would indeed be the case. Besides, he was already used to travelling back and forth occassionaly with his sister Jun as his companion and sometimes even alone. Meeting with the half-Finnish girl at the Western Osaka District train station just happened to be a happy coincidence. Eventually, Francis cleared security and proceeded to the gate where the large Air Canada jet was being prepared for boarding.

As he sat there, Francis' cellphone rang and the violinist quickly scrambled for his cellphone.

"Hello?"

"Oy, it's Jun." The person behind the phone said, "You sound like you were expecting someone else?"

"Eh? Nah..." Francis laughed, "I just got through Narita security after all so I'm still a little bit jumpy. Anyways... why'd you call, sis?"

"I just wanted to see if you got to the airport safely." Jun said, "I figured you would, but I had to be sure, you know?"

"Aww, you actually care for me." Francis teased, "What a nice little sister you are, eh?"

"Whatever!" Jun squeaked defensively, "Anyways, I, for one, know you absolutely hate travelling alone. You told me that the first time you went to Japan by yourself."

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine with it now." Francis replied, "If I do well on this Philharmonic thing, I'll have to get used to it after all."

"You don't sound as disappointed as I thought you would be." Jun then said, "Met someone interesting, perchance?"

"Interesting, yeah. You could say that I did."

"Oh-hoh~!"

"Not _that_ sort of interesting!"

"Hah, fine, fine." Jun laughed at her brother's expense, "Just don't forget to bring back some souveniers!"

"You got it." Francis said. The Air Canada flight bound for Vancouver then started boarding, cutting the siblings' conversation short. "So, I gotta go now. The plane's boarding, eh?"

"Have a safe trip! And tell me more about this girl of yours when you land in BC*!"

"She's not my girl!" Francis retorted, but Jun had already hung up. Feeling a mixture of irritation and amusement, Francis turned off his phone and lined up to board the plane headed for Canada. Looking at the red maple leaf painted on the tail of the plane, he couldn't help but look forward to the things he would do in his native country... and perhaps to meet with that _interesting_ girl again.

********

**To Be Continued**

* * *

BC* - The province of British Columbia, Canada.


	3. Free Plane Ride for Two

**Snowbanks**

**Chapter 3**

An Air Canada jet that had flown all the way from Japan taxied down the runway to one of the gates at the Vancouver International Airport. Inside, near the tail of the plane, Francis Suzuki sat, as he had predicted, in between two people he didn't know. The half-Canadian groaned inaudibly, lamenting the back pain he was experiencing, the loss of feeling in his legs and the subsequent lack of sleep that naturally came with having a seat so close to the tail exhaust. The turbulent ride on the way there didn't help either.

On the bright side though, he thought to himself, he was in his home country again, the country he had grown up in – Canada. Despite his tiredness, he was glad to have been able to come back again. Had he had a window seat, he would have looked out of it and watched as the plane approached Pacific Canada and savored the familiar sights of the city of Vancouver. Sadly, his seating arrangement granted him no windows and he couldn't see past the old man and the old lady he sat in between either. It made him sigh.

The plane soon came to a complete stop and Francis took off his seatbelt and stood up to revive his legs. Everyone around him scrambled off to get their luggage from the overhead bins then trickle slowly through the narrow corridors in between the seats out of the plane. Francis picked up his hand-carry luggage and followed the slow stream to disembark. As he inched on though, he had a chance to look out the window and was surprised by what he saw – a Japan Airlines jet parked a few gates away from that of his plane.

'Could it be the girl's flight?' he asked himself as he watched the plane from every window he passed by, 'Can't be… she left way earlier than me.'

Shrugging, Francis turned away and just patiently walked out of the plane. He then breathed in the air as he disembarked and found himself smiling like an idiot. The Alexandrov Ensemble's rendition of 'O, Canada' was playing in his head and he felt really giddy as he walked. He couldn't help it – he hasn't been home for so long.

His happy reminiscing however would be cut short by an announcement that went out over the airport PA system. His connecting flight to Montreal had just landed as well and would be boarding soon. Picking up his pace, he rushed over to the baggage claim to transfer his baggage to the connection flight then proceeded to go through immigration.

"Citizenship?" The immigration officer asked

"Japanese-Canadian."

"Place of Residence?"

"Western Osaka District, Osaka Prefecture, Japan."

"Place of Birth?"

"Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada."

"Nova Scotia, eh? You like hockey?"

"Yessir."

"You're clear to go then, Mr. Suzuki." The officer said with a smile, stamping Francis' passport with the necessary marks. He stepped through the immigration checkpoint and the connection flight security right afterwards then headed towards the gate number printed on his itinerary. He got there on time, but there was a problem – it was overbooked.

First class ticket holders, the elderly and those with children were given priority until the general public started to move in. By the sheer size of the crowd, Francis knew that he wouldn't be able to get a seat.

The half-Canadian then anxiously stood in line, hoping that he'd be lucky enough to find a seat. It was at that moment that Francis saw a familiar face in the dwindling crowd. It was Tsumugi.

"Suzuki-kun!" She exclaimed, "What a coincidence to find you here!"

"Kotobuki-san!" Francis gasped, "Wait a sec, didn't your flight leave earlier than mine?"

"We had a stopover at Honolulu, Hawaii." The girl replied, "So we practically arrived at the airport at the same time."

She then looked at her ticket then at Francis'.

"And it seems we're going to be on the same flight." She said excitedly

"If we get a seat, that is." Francis mumbled, watching as more and more people went through the gate, "You'd have to be a first class ticket holder if you want to go through."

"Is that so?" The girl said. Francis' turn at the gate then arrived, but his luck had ran out.

"The airplane can no longer accommodate regular passengers." The girls behind the counter announced, "We're sorry for the inconvenience."

"Wait a second!" Francis demanded, "This girl and I paid good money to fly to Montreal, we're not leaving until we get on board."

"That is impossible, sir." One of the attendants said sternly, "The plane can only hold so many people. We even had a first class seat given off to a disabled person since no one had claimed it."

"Argh! How the heck am I going to get to Montreal now?" Francis complained, "My violin is on that plane too!"

"A quick baggage transfer can be arranged." The attendant suggested, logging on to the computer on the counter, "And I can print off a pair of boarding passes for you two as well for your troubles."

"Really?"

"We'll even do it for free." The lady said, "Company policy."

"Did you hear that, Kotobuki-san? Free tickets for us!"

"That is excellent news, Suzuki-kun!" Tsumugi replied, "I've never gotten a free plane boarding pass before!"

"Don't get your hopes up too much though." The attendant said, "It's only an Air Canada Jazz flight near the back."

"Jazz…" Francis groaned, not exactly happy with Air Canada Jazz's flights, "At the back of the plane again too… fine. As long as we get to Montreal."

The attendant printed two boarding passes for us as promised, but in return, she asked for our old boarding passes in return. Francis handed the attendant his coach class ticket while, to Francis' surprise, the girl gave up her first class ticket.

"You had a first class ticket?" Francis asked, puzzled, "You could have gone on that flight then, Kotobuki-san. First class tickets had priority after all. If you didn't stop by to chat with me and went on ahead, you'd be on your way."

"Well, I couldn't leave a friend alone now, could I?" The girl said with a smile, "And besides, I've always wanted to ride coach class."

"Are you absolutely sure about that?" Francis cautioned, "There is a huuuuge difference between coach class and first class, you know…"

"I'll be fine." Tsumugi reassured the worried boy, "At least I'll have someone to talk to on the way there."

"Really now?" Francis said, happy that his companion was being a sport about their situation, "Well don't worry then, I'll keep you company."

"There's one condition though." The girl then said, "I get the window seat, okay?"

"Hah, is that all? Deal, then."

**To Be Continued**


	4. Of Teaspoons and Connecting Flights

**Snowbanks**

**Chapter 4**

"Wait a sec… this can't be right…" Francis said, rubbing his eyes and thinking that he was at the wrong place, "This can't be right at all."

Francis and Tsumugi had made their way to the other side of the terminal and arrived at the gate mentioned on their newly printed tickets. To the half-Candian's surprise though, the flight stationed there wasn't going to the place he had thought the two of them would be going to.

"Robert L. Stanfield International, YHZ." Tsumugi said, reading the airport name posted on the TV screens at the gate, "What's wrong, Suzuki-kun? Isn't that the airport at Montreal?"

"No…" Francis said, a little bit worried, "The airport at Montreal is Pierre Elliot Trudeau International, YUL. Stanfield, YHZ is the airport in my hometown – Halifax."

The two travelers then quickly referred to their tickets again to make sure that they hadn't made a mistake. To their relief though, they had been printed a pair of tickets each – one from Vancouver to Halifax and one from Halifax to Montreal. Tsumugi figured that they were given these since Francis must have sounded impatient and that the flight to Halifax was the earliest to fly out of Vancouver.

"I wasn't impatient!" Francis defended himself, "I was just worried that we wouldn't be able to reach Montreal, that's all."

"Just kidding." Tsumugi chuckled, making the half-Canadian a little shy

"But man… one connecting flight after another…" Francis mumbled, "They're both on Jazz too so we'll be in for a tough flight."

"Well, at least we get to pass by your hometown, Suzuki-kun." Tsumugi said in consolation, "Even for a little bit, at least."

"You're quite the optimist, are you?" Francis noted

"I try to be." The girl replied with a smile, "Unhappiness is just extra baggage you carry around after all, so I prefer to look on the bright side."

"That's a good way to live life." Francis said, agreeing with the pianist's logic. The two of them then boarded the plane and to find their seats which was (no surprise) at the very back of the plane. Again.

"Wow… this is a very small plane." Tsumugi said, being able to see the entirety of the cabin from the entrance. Francis thought that she was disappointed, but the opposite was true. "I've never been on a plane this small before!"

She was excited. Very excited. Francis couldn't help but be amused by the girl's amusement. They then went down the aisle to the very end then claimed their seats. Since the airplane was, as Tsumugi had pointed out, on the smaller end of the spectrum, there were only two seats at each side per row. That meant that Francis would be sharing his side with Tsumugi and only Tsumugi.

"After you." Francis said, standing aside to let the girl take the window seat, "As promised."

"Why, thank you." The girl replied.

The two of them then sat and buckled up for the flight. After taxiing and being cleared for take-off, the plane was airborne and the two watched from their window as the city of Vancouver gradually got smaller and smaller. Francis however would argue that Tsumugi was the only one who got to see the view since all he could see when turning to the window were the long locks of golden hair and the side of the half-Finnish girl's face. He didn't want to admit it, but he didn't mind the view.

* * *

A few minutes later, the refreshment trolley made its way from the front of the plane and eventually reached the end. The trolley lady then smiled and asked the all too familiar question to the pair,

"Coffee or Tea?"

Francis ordered a coffee while Tsmugi asked for a tea. Before Francis could specify how he wanted his coffee done though, he got up from his seat and excused himself, saying he had to go to the lavatory.

"I'll have a half teaspoon of sugar and a half teaspoon of cream, please." Tsumugi said, asking for the balance between the two condiments she liked in her tea.

"Very well then," the trolley lady said, "and how would the young man like his coffee?"

"Frankly, I don't know…" Tsumugi said, "So could you just leave a sachet of sugar or two with me and a small tub of skimmed milk? Oh, and a teaspoon would be helpful as well."

The trolley lady gave the girl what she had asked for and left the girl to experiment with Francis' coffee. Tsumugi was the 'master tea-server' of the Light Music Club, after all so she had a penchant for making the perfect blend of tea condiments. Coffee wouldn't be that different, so she figured she wouldn't have too much trouble.

"Now what would he like?" Tsumugi whispered to herself as she inspected the resources she had. Giving the mixture some thought, she proceeded to meticulously measure the sugar and milk then briskly stirred it with the coffee to mix it up. Since this was her first time to work with that particular combination and coffee, she was curious to know what it tasted like. She dipped the teaspoon into the cup and put it against her lips to try it out. It was delicious.

It was at around that time that Francis returned to his seat. Seeing the opened sachet of sugar and milk tub, not to mention the teaspoon that was still in her hands, he knew that his coffee was already mixed for him.

"I serve tea at my club in school, you see." Tsumugi explained, setting the teaspoon beside the coffee cup, "I manage mixing the sugar, cream and whatnot as well so I figured I'd stir it up for you."

"Is that so?" Francis said intrigued. He then picked up the teaspoon and said, "Let's see how it tastes then."

"Wait a sec!" Tsumugi said, realizing that she had just used that teaspoon to taste the coffee as well. She had been planning to at least wipe it with a napkin, but completely forgot to do so when her companion arrived.

"Why, what's up?" Francis asked

"N… nothing." The girl said, trying to calm down, "Carry on."

Shrugging, Francis dipped the teaspoon into his coffee and had a taste. All the while, Tsumugi watched anxiously, her heart racing as the spoon touched his lips.

"This is pretty good." Francis then said with approval, "I like it!"

"Really?" Tsumugi asked, her anxiety overridden by happiness, "I'm glad then."

Francis then returned to his seat and finished off his coffee, enjoying every single drop of it as he chatted with the half-Finnish girl. Tsumugi too delightedly sipped her tea as she talked, but was also happy for an entirely different reason, one she kept to herself. Francis didn't see it, but she was happy for the rest of the flight.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the pilot then announced over the PA system, "We have begun our descent to Halifax's Stanfield International Airport and we will be arriving shortly."

"I'm back in Halifax, eh?" Francis pondered silently, "It _has_ been a while…"

**To Be Continued**


	5. Promise of the Home Towns

**Snowbanks**

**Chapter 5**

Nighttime had fallen over the Halifax-Stanfield International Airport where Francis and Tsumugi were to wait for their connecting flight. Looking at the TV screens that flashed the arrival/departure schedule in English for one minute then French in the next (something that rather amused the half-Finnish girl), their flight wouldn't be there for another hour. Simply put, the two of them were stuck there at the terminal and would be stuck there for a while.

Since the airport didn't really expect a lot of traffic that time of year, the shops were closed and there was barely anyone in the terminal aside from the occasional janitor or security guard. Compared to the Vancouver International Airport, this place was a ghost town and he was afraid that Tsumugi would get bored. The exact opposite however was true.

"This airport is so clean…" She said, noting how the lone janitor barely found anything to clean up, "I've never seen an airport this clean before…"

Francis then chuckled. He wasn't sure whether or not to take that as a compliment for his hometown's airport. A clean, spotless airport meant a barely used airport after all. That time of year wasn't a time tourists went to the Canadian province of Nova Scotia however so that was to be expected.

"You're not bored at all, Kotobuki-san?" Francis asked his companion, "This place is dryer than the Sahara…"

"Why would I be?" Tsumugi then said with a smile, "You're here to keep me company, right?"

"Right…" Francis said with a raised brow, "Well then, I might as well show you around. This terminal will be the only bit of Nova Scotia I'll be able to show you, but I'll show you every single nook and cranny of it!"

"A tour!" Tsumugi said excitedly, "Yes! Please do show me around."

Amused by her excitement, Francis showed Tsumugi around the departure terminal. Luckily for the tourist and the guide, there was a coffee shop still open at the middle of the terminal. Even after all of the other shops had closed, this one coffee shop was still open.

"In Canada, there is one thing you have to know." Francis said as they approached, "If you can't count on anything else, you can count on Tim Horton's."

True enough, 'Tim Horton's' was the name of the shop still open. The girl behind the counter was sleepy, but the shop was nonetheless open. As the two of them neared the shop, the smell of roast coffee beans rushed to their noses and it was a whiff of happiness for the two.

"You like coffee, Kotobuki-san?" Francis asked as they stood before the counter, "Or are you more of a tea person?"

"I've always had tea." Tsumugi said, "But since we're here, why don't I try a coffee?"

"Excellent choice." Francis grinned. He then turned to the lady happily. "Excuse me miss, two medium double-singles please."

"Double-single?" Tsumugi asked, unfamiliar with the ordering terminology

"It means two servings of cream and one serving of sugar." Francis said, "That's how I roll."

Tsumugi then hummed triumphantly. She had just guessed the combination Francis liked in the plane and she got it spot on. In the middle of her celebration though, she came across a glass display where a number of doughnuts sat.

"They have doughnuts too?" Tsumugi gasped excitedly. Her mouth quickly watered as she looked at the variation of doughnuts behind the glass display.

"Is she a tourist?" The girl at the counter whispered to Francis, "Doesn't know the double-single... going crazy over doughnuts... she has to be."

"Yep. Half Finnish, quarter Japanese, one-eighth German and one-eighth French. Quite a mouthful, eh?" Francis replied, "So yeah, she only heard of Tim's today."

"Is that so?" The girl said, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"What?" Francis said, quite shocked by the girl's observation, "Why are you asking me that?"

"Just curious." The girl said, finishing up their two coffees, "So would that be all?"

Francis took a step back and hummed in consideration. He saw the still giddy Tsumugi going about every doughnut and reading their names.

"How about some maple dip doughnuts too?" Francis said to the girl at the counter, "Give her a taste of Canada, eh?"

"You're really getting some for us?" Tsumugi squealed, "Thank you! Thank you!"

The smile on Tsumugi's face was so cheerful that the girl behind the counter gave Francis a questioning look as he paid. She clearly didn't buy the 'she's not my girlfriend' declaration. The way Tsumugi's eyes lit up when Francis gave her the coffee and doughnut didn't help either. Before the counter girl could make any more side remarks, the two took off sipping from the paper coffee cups and bringing their respective bags of doughnuts. Their little tour then continued.

Francis then went on to clarify a number of things to his companion about his hometown. First, though they were in the Halifax International Airport, they were actually dozens of miles away from the actual city proper. The same setup was true in places like San Francisco; he would point out as well. Then, there was the thing about their economy. Nova Scotia is particularly famous for its lobster and for the logging industry, but Francis stressed the fact that not everybody was a fisherman or a lumberjack clad in flannel – a fact that made Tsumugi chuckle.

The two of them then came across a flag of the Province of Nova Scotia, something that caught Tsumugi's attention. She said that it reminded her a bit of the Finnish flag. They both featured blue crosses of some sort and a coat of arms with a lion. Francis just scratched his face as Tsumugi talked on as he never really listened to his history classes back in Canada. She knew more about the Nova Scotian flag than he did.

Before long, they reached the end of the terminal and the end of their tour. They then started the long walk back to their gate. They found their seats by the gate which were (no surprise) empty and decided to wait for their plane there. Now that they were stationary again, Tsumugi promptly nibbled on the maple-dipped doughnut.

"Do you like it?" Francis asked the girl, "The doughnut, that is."

"I love it!" Tsumugi exclaimed, carrying on like an excited chipmunk.

"Maple syrup is my favorite sweet." Francis then said, eating through his own doughnut as well "I like it on my pancakes, I like it on my doughnuts. My family deals in the maple syrup business after all."

"They do?" Tsumugi said with intrigue

"Yeah… but we're not doing too well." Francis admitted with a defeated sigh, "To cut a long story short, we made some bad investments throughout the years that we're still struggling to recover from… That's enough about us though, what about you? What does your family do?"

"My family runs The Kotobuki Corporation." Tsumugi said, making Francis' jaw drop.

"The Kotobuki Corporation?" Francis gasped, "The up and coming company on the stock market? Your company is a gold mine!"

"We do have some investments in gold mines, yes." Tsumugi said, "But we aren't without our problems too. We have a solid presence in the main Kansai area prefectures but we are unknown beyond there. And, our competition doesn't like the fact that we're independent."

"Competition? What sort of competition can stand up to Kotobuki Corp?" Francis asked, "Isn't Kotobuki Corp the #1 corporation in Japan?"

"No, we're #1 in the Osaka Prefecture, #7 in Shiga, #22 in Kyoto and #87 overall in Japan." Tsumugi said, "We're growing fast now, but we still have a long way to go before being the #1 corporation in Japan. The biggest Tokyo conglomerate, The Platinum Group, has the power to buy out Kotobuki Corporation tonight if they wanted to… and they even own 30% of the Budokan."

"Wow… they must be huge."

"They are, but we won't give up." Tsumugi said determinedly, "And neither should your company, Suzuki-kun. Times of adversity are there to test our strength after all, so let's show them we can be strong!"

"You should give that pep talk to my mom and pops." Francis said with a smile, "They'd love to hear something like that."

"I'd be happy to, someday." Tsumugi said readily

"Eager, are we?" Francis laughed, "It's a deal then, the next time we go to Halifax, I'm taking you to see my folks. I'll bring my sister too!"

"That sounds great!" Tsumugi said happily, "I'll introduce you to my folks too when we see them back in Japan. Then maybe, if ever we go to Finland, I'll show you my hometown too! It's only fair, no?"

"I will look forward to that, Kotobuki-san." Francis said, "You show me Helsinki, I'll show you Halifax. Deal?"

"Deal!"

The promise was made and the two couldn't help but imagine seeing the other's hometown. However, they believed that it would be a long time before that ever happened. For now, they would sit there and wait for their flight to go to Montreal.

**To Be Continued**


	6. Almost There

**Snowbanks**

**Chapter 6**

It was almost midnight in the province of Nova Scotia as the Air Canada Jazz flight to Montreal made its way through the skies. The handful of passengers that came pretty much on the last minute sat in their seats, fast asleep. Francis and Tsumugi however were still awake, partly due to the coffee they just had. Since they knew they wouldn't be sleeping, the two of them wanted to do something entertaining along the way and the in-flight magazines available to them were ones they have already read going to Halifax. Luckily for them, Francis had a solution – Hanafuda.

"Alright, Kotobuki-san. Let me teach you something." Francis said as he shuffled his deck of Hanafuda cards, "Hanafuda isn't just a game. It's a battle where you put your honor and glory at stake."

"Like a duel?" Tsumugi asked, looking at the cards she had been dealt, "But the cards are all so pretty. They're all flowers, no?"

"Some players call it the War of the Flowers." Francis explained, now dealing the cards on the tray tables, "But yeah, the cards do look mighty nice, eh?"

"They do." Tsumugi said, showing Francis her cards, "Look! Cherry blossoms!"

Francis then sighed. Tsumugi wasn't supposed to show him her cards like that since he'd know exactly how he should play his hand. Not knowing what the opponent could string together was a part of the thrill of the game after all. He told her that and said that he'd re-deal for them if she wished. Tsumugi however said that she was fine with him knowing what cards she had, as long as she knew what cards he had.

"Fine." Francis said, showing her the cards in his hand. He figured it wouldn't make a difference since Tsumugi only knew the elementary basics of the game. Not minding that, the game commenced.

"Cup and the Cherry Blossoms." Tsumugi declared happily, "How many points was that?"

"Five points…" Francis groaned, amazed that she pulled off a combo on the first phase, "Will you koi-koi, or no?"

"Koi-koi?" Tsumugi asked. She then blushed and muttered out her interpretation, "Love-love?"

"No!" Francis said frantically, correcting the girl, "Saying koi-koi means you want this round to continue."

"Ah!" Tsumugi said, recovering quickly, "Then yes, I want this to continue. Koi-koi!"

"Very well." Francis said with a smirk, "Boar-Deer-Butterfly! Five points! No koi-koi!"

"So the game is over then?" Tsumugi asked, "We both get five points, right?"

"Nope." Francis said smugly, "I won the last phase and ended it there, so only I get points."

"Unfair!"

"That's the game, Kotobuki-san." Francis said, "Plus, I did know what cards you have."

Tsumugi's face puffed, making Francis cringe.

"Alright, alright… let's just play on, okay?" Francis said, preparing for the next round, "The thing about Hanafuda is that you can always make a comeback. We still have some months to go, right? You can still win this if you believe you can."

"Oh yeah, I believe." Tsumugi said with renewed enthusiasm, "Let's play!"

"I won't give you an easy time though." Francis replied, "Bring it!"

The twelve rounds of the game flew by quickly and Francis ended up winning by a landslide. The two of them played on with practically the same result. After their last game though, Tsumugi stared determinedly in Francis' eyes and said,

"Just you wait, Suzuki-kun! I'll get better at this. I'll win you over someday!"

'Did she mean she would win over me?' Francis thought silently, making him chuckle. "I'll look forward to that Kotobuki-san."

The small plane then began its descent to the Pierre Trudeau International Airport and Francis stashed his deck of cards back in his coat pocket. Sunlight was pouring into the plane from the east, compelling the half-Canadian boy and the half-Finnish girl to look out. The plane was descending down into layers upon layers of thick cloud and the windows frosted ominously.

"Could it be…?" Tsumugi said ponderously, laying a hand on the frosted window. The plane continued its descent through the cloud layers and once we had cleared it, Tsumugi's suspicion was confirmed, "It's snowing!"

"Seems the snow is coming early this year." Francis said somberly, "Then again, this is Montreal…"

"You don't sound too happy, Suzuki-kun." Tsumugi noted, "You don't like the snow, perhaps?"

"I don't hate it." Francis said, "It can be fun, I know, but summer is more of my season."

"Oh, I see."

"And I'm guessing you love snow, Kotobuki-san."

"I love it." She said with a smile, "I've had so many fond memories in the snow; I could spend a whole day telling you about them all."

"I have some fun snow stories too though." Francis reassured, "Like the time me and my sister tried to knock each other down by pelting snow at each other on the way to school."

"Your sister sounds like someone I can get along with."

"Are you planning to hit me with snowballs?" Francis groaned

"I'd be lying if I said I won't try." Tsumugi teased and the two of them laughed. The two of them then started talking about Francis' sister Jun Suzuki. To Francis' surprise, she had already met Jun and had talked with her so often.

"So you're the one who makes Jun-chan's lunches, right?" Tsumugi asked. Francis nodded to confirm it. "I've seen her lunches a few times and they look heavenly. They smell heavenly too."

"Living with my little sister, the cooking and cleaning duties fall to me." Francis said, "Someone has to do it, so I stepped up to the plate."

Tsumugi nodded as she listened intently to Francis, her mouth watering as he listed his wide repertoire of dishes.

"The thing I'm most proud of however would have to be my sugar doughnuts." Francis said, "Not only are they awesome, they're easy to make too. If we can get some ingredients, I might even be able to make you some."

"You will, really?" Tsumugi said, pleased by his suggestion

"Why not." Francis grinned, "I want to show you that it's the real deal after all."

"I would happily try some of them if you make them." Tsumugi said, "Gosh, your sister must be very happy to have a brother like you."

"She tries not to admit it." Francis laughed. His laughter however came to a quick halt as he started to remember something he had forgotten to do, "I forgot to call her in Vancouver!"

"Does she often check up on you?" Tsumugi asked

"She does." Francis sighed, "And I was supposed to talk to her about..."

The half-Canadian boy then held his tongue. The other thing Jun was interested to talk about was Tsumugi, so he leaned back and tried to recalculate his words.

"About what, Suzuki-kun?"

"Nothing, you know, the usual stuff." Francis said calmly, "I'll just give her a call when we land. I just hope she's not too pissed at me."

**To Be Continued**


	7. Un Rival À Montréal

**Snowbanks**

**Chapter 7**

"Francis!" Jun screamed from the other end of the line, "Why the hell didn't you call!"

6PM at the lobby of the Marriott Montreal Residence Inn.

The half-Canadian boy cringed as he struggled to prevent permanent ear damage. He already held the hotel payphone receiver away from his ear, but his sister Jun's barrage of English and Japanese cuss was still audible.

"Like I said Jun, I'm sorry." Francis said, speaking as he tried to suppress Jun's voice, "I was just really busy you know. I was running late for my flight and it got overbooked too so I had a lot of things on my mind."

"I thought you wouldn't make it to Montreal…" Jun then said, "I was worried, you know."

"Okay, okay. So calm down alright? I'm safe. You don't have to worry." Francis reassured

"Fine, but don't you ever drop my calls when you get them again okay?" Jun said, "You have a bad habit of dropping calls."

"I won't do it again."

"Good to know bro." Jun said, recovering from her worry, "So… about that _interesting_ girl you said you met on the train."

"I actually flew with her to and from Halifax too." Francis added, "She's really fun to be around. It's nice to have someone you can relate to on a long flight, eh?"

"Kya~!"

"Kya… what?" Francis said scratching his head, "What the hell is going through your head."

"It's a twist of fate, huh?" Jun prodded, "Meant to be?"

"Shut up, she's someone I just met…" Francis said, a little bit flustered, "Speaking of her, I think you would know her."

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah, Jun." Francis said, "She said she sees you at school. Tsumugi Kotobuki is her name."

"Mugi-senpai?" Jun gasped, "Whoa bro. You've been travelling with a beauty all this time, eh?"

"She is pretty, yeah. Wait a minute! No, that is not be point here…"

"Hah! If you like her, just say it. Mugi-senpai is a bit on the strange side like Yui-senpai but not as much."

"Yui? Who's this Yui you speak of?" Francis asked interested, "Is she cute?"

"Yes, but good luck keeping up with her energy and nonsense. Satoshi-kun will also probably look at you strangely if you date Ui-chan's older sister." Jun laughed, "But back to topic. Do you like Mugi-senpai?"

"It's not like I don't like her." Francis then said, "It's just that I don't think I can look at her that way. She and I are friends and I like the way things are going now."

"Is that so? Well, that's a shame." Jun said disappointedly, "But when I see the two of you dating, I'm going to have a jolly good time."

"Like that will ever happen." Francis snarked back, "So I have to go. We've got to get to practice, eh?"

The siblings bid each other farewell and Francis returned to his room to fetch his violin.

"Alright Fraulein." Francis said to his violin, "Let's show them what we can do."

* * *

Later that day, at the practice of the Osaka Philharmonic at the Place des Arts, all eyes were on the half-Canadian and his violin as he played as an integral member of the strings section for the first time. Since he was new to all of this though, he made a lot of mistakes. Tsumugi however would be there to help Francis master the pieces and the two became a formidable team over the course of three days.

By then, the Philharmonic had perfected their songs and Francis played almost flawlessly. The smooth voice of Fraulein and the tender melodies of Tsumugi on the piano were so pleasing to the maestro that he decided to have the pianist and vocalist lead on the orchestra's rendition of Canon in D.

"High five!" Francis cheered, raising a hand to the pianist. She smiled and gave him the high five he wanted. More and more, the two of them were starting to act like the best buddies Francis had perceived them to be since Day 1. The two of them were always together and their lively chatter was always a sight to behold.

This was the way it should be, Francis thought, and that was the way he thought Tsumugi thought it should be too. They never spoke about that directly, so he could only speculate on what was going on through the pianist's head. Francis would be happy as long as the two of them are friends, he reasons. One night though, as Francis was talking to his sister on the phone as he did after every practice, his reasoning was challenged.

"So how would you feel if she falls for someone else?" Jun asked her brother

"Why are you asking me this all of the sudden?" Francis asked

"Answer the question, bro."

"If the guy is an asshole, I'd oppose it." Francis replied

"And if he's not? If he's a gentleman of a caliber you could never hope to achieve."

"Sharp words there sis…" Francis groaned, "But if he's a Mr. Amazing, then I'd be…"

"Jealous? Angry?"

"I don't know." Francis shrugged, "Bah, it's a theoretical situation anyways."

The violinist yawned and cut the conversation short. The Philharmonic's meeting for the night wasn't over yet since they had a meeting right after their practice. He went back to the main theater where Tsumugi and the rest were. As always, he was late so he had to sneak in and get into his seat next to the pianist.

"What's happening again, Kotobuki-san?" Francis asked casually, leaning into the theater seat

"The orchestra was invited to a Masquerade party here at the Place des Arts." Tsumugi said, "It will be a socialization event for us and the local arts scene."

As the pianist spoke, the maestro then introduced someone to the congregation.

"In preparation for the event, let me introduce you to Mr. Pierre MacDonald." The maestro said, leading a tall, handsome, young man onto the stage, "He will be tutoring us in basic French."

"Bonsoir, Mesdames et messieurs." Greeted Pierre, with an elegant bow "Je suis Pierre MacDonald, and I will do my best to help you learn French. I am also a native of belle Montreal, so I can also serve as a guide, eh?"

As he said this, Pierre scanned the congregation and saw Tsumugi seated there beside Francis. He flashed a smile to the pianist and Francis quickly suspected that he fancied her. His sister's query earlier then came to mind, making him a bit uneasy. Not liking where this was going, Francis stood up and spoke out.

"Excusez-moi, monsieur MacDonald. Je peux parler et écrire français aussi." Said the violinist, "I can probably be of some help."

"Well, your French sounds good enough." Pierre said, "Alright then, you can help me out."

For a split second though, Pierre gave Francis a glare. He must have recognized his defensive maneuver, Francis thought. Tsumugi then turned to him, wondered why he was serious all of the sudden but didn't seem to suspect a thing. Francis however was a little bit dazed. Jun's theoretical situation had become a reality and now he had to deal with it.

He wouldn't know how things would play out, but one thing was for sure - Francis wouldn't let him lay a hand on her. For his plan to work out though, he would have to brush up his French.

'Ce sera amusant'

**To Be Continued**


	8. Snowbanks

**Author's Notes: **Song links will be in my profile page, as always in the 'Snowbanks' story description section! So, everyone, enjoy the finale!

* * *

**Snowbanks**

**Chapter 8**

"And they're done." Francis said as he placed a plate before Tsumugi, "Doughnuts, as fresh as they come. Would you care to try one, Kotobuki-san?"

"Don't mind if I do!" The girl replied in a pleasant tone, putting her hands together in anticipation. Francis then sat with the girl and the two of them took a doughnut each. "It's warm…"

The pianist and violinist were at the dining table in Francis' suite in the Montreal Marriott Residence Inn, a good half-hour before the next practice at the Philharmonic. It had been a while since the two of them hanged out by themselves since the practices began and Francis had to make good on his promise to make Tsumugi those sugar doughnuts he was so proud of.

Beyond the room's window, the scene of an escalating snowstorm could be seen. Strong winds blew and snow flurries blocked the view, intensifying by the minute and showing no signs of stopping any time soon. At that moment though, all that mattered to the half-Canadian was what the golden-haired girl thought of his doughnuts. He watched expectantly as the girl took a bite of the doughnuts.

"Oh!"

Tsumugi squeaked with delight and Francis knew it was mission accomplished.

"So what do you think?" Francis asked, taking a bite himself, "It's good, eh?"

"It's better than good. It is amazing!" Tsumugi said, "And I mean amazing! I've tried many other pastries before, but this one takes the cake!"

"I can bake cakes too, just so you know." Francis said with pride

"Everyone at the orchestra will love this!" Tsumugi said, "You made another batch for them, right?"

"I did." Francis said, "I made enough for everyone… even that jerk."

"Even for what?"

"Never mind." Francis said, laughing dryly, "So let's get over to the practice now, shall we?"

"Right, today is the day you and Pierre teach the rest of us some French." Tsumugi said. "Are you ready for that Suzuki-kun?"

"Oh yes I am, Kotobuki-san." Francis said, showing Tsumugi his old, battered notebook, "I'm going to teach you… I mean all of you some damn good French. I'll make sure of it!"

"Je suis prêt! I'm ready!" Tsumugi said eagerly, "Let's go, Suzuki-kun!"

Taking the doughnuts with them, Francis and Tsumugi headed out of the hotel to go to the Place des Arts. Once they got to the foyer though, the snowstorm outside strengthened and it seemed like heading outside would be a bad idea. Some of the members of the orchestra who also lodged in the Residence Inn were standing out there in the foyer too, wondering whether or not they should brave the snowstorm. It was at that time that the maestro sent them a circular text saying that practice for the day was canceled.

"Well, so much for that." Francis said, "I guess we won't be…"

"And what do we have here?" A smug voice said happily, "If it isn't my assistant en français and his friend! The snowstorm trapped us in, eh?"

"You…"

"Good morning Mr. MacDonald." Tsumugi greeted amiably, "Sadly, the practice today was cancelled due to the storm."

"Ah, the formalities." Pierre said, "Je n'ai pas besoin d'eux. We can do without them. Just call me Pierre."

"Alright then." Tsumugi said eagerly, "Pierre it is."

"Great…"

"Hmm," Pierre said looking around the foyer, "Since a good part of the orchestra lodges here at the Residence Inn, why don't we have that French lesson, oui? We don't want this day to go to waste… nor those doughnuts."

Pierre then gathered the members of the orchestra together at one of the meeting rooms in the hotel and had the lesson there. Since the Philharmonic had visited many English-speaking countries in the past, most of the members already knew how to speak English. Therefore, the goal that day and the days until the masquerade would be to give the orchestra members some basic conversational French. Putting the teaching part aside, however, the tutoring was basically a battle of wits and pride between the Quebecer and the Nova Scotian.

From the off-set, Pierre dealt the first blow and handled the seating arrangements in the meeting room. He had Tsumugi sit right next to him and Francis sitting on the far end of the table, much to Francis' irritation. The tutor said that such an arrangement would mean the two of them could help out as many people as they could but Francis knew all too well that there was more to it than that.

In response, Francis decided not to be confined to his chair and said that he would be going around assisting those who needed help. Francis also suggested that Pierre give up his seat and do the same as he did so that they could both help everyone as the need arose. Francis knew that Tsumugi was already well-versed in French and would hardly need any help at all, so that adjustment would actually work in his favor.

The same scenario played out the next day at the Place des Arts when the snowstorm ended. Francis took the initiative, saying that he would take responsibility for handing out any materials Pierre wanted to hand out. Pierre responded by writing his entire lecture on two separate whiteboards and not handing anything out.

In short, it was a silent battle of maneuver where one made sure that the enemy never had the advantage. It was just like Hanafuda, Francis thought, except that it would be Tsumugi at stake and he didn't want to lose.

"So basically, the two of you are fighting over Mugi-senpai." Jun said to her brother as he called her on the phone again

"No." Francis corrected, "He's the one fighting to get Kotobuki-san into his arms. I'm just keeping him from doing so."

"Is he an asshole or a Mr. Amazing?"

"A mix of both, Jun. That bastard is a mix of both."

"Really now… so who is winning, you or him?"

"Score's even right now, and that's a good thing." Francis said, "He's a sly one, that Quebecer. If I let down my guard for one minute…"

"And what is this, monsieur Suzuki?" Pierre said, appearing behind Francis, "I walk down the hallway and I hear you talking to someone on the phone about moi?"

"Hey sis, I got to go." Francis whispered to the phone, "I have… business to attend to."

Francis hanged up and Pierre shrugged, asking for an explanation – an explanation Francis couldn't give.

"You know monsieur Suzuki, I am not stupid oui?" Pierre said, "It doesn't take a genius to see that you are protecting mademoiselle Kotobuki."

"Well, it doesn't take a genius to know that you're trying to hit on her." Francis countered, "And I'm sure you can figure out that I'm not going to let that happen."

"Vous êtes audacieux, monsieur Suzuki." Pierre replied, somewhat amused, "Those are fighting words, but I do ask myself… why exactly are you doing this? Would you happen to be her petit ami? Her boyfriend, perchance?"

Francis' confidence and resolve then started to crumble. Somehow, he knew that he would play that card on him sooner or later. Despite that foresight, he was still silenced by Pierre's assumption for a moment.

"She was a complete stranger to me almost a week ago." Francis said, stringing something together, "Somewhere along the way, I grew to like her… as a friend."

"That's not a good enough reason to keep me away from her then." Pierre said with a grin, "Since you're not her boyfriend, you don't have the right to stop me."

"So you're just going to hit on someone you just met yesterday?"

"Actually, I first saw her two days ago here at the Place des Arts." Pierre corrected, "But yes, why shouldn't I do so? I've dated many other girls before. I've even asked girls out the moment I met them. Seize the day, kid."

Francis cringed at the thought of going out with someone just pickup lines alone, but he understands that things like that happen quite occasionally in the real world.

"So, like I said, you don't have the right to get between me and her." Pierre concluded, "Tomorrow night, at the masquerade, she'll be dancing with moi. Best buddies don't slow dance after all, eh?"

Pierre patted Francis' shoulder as if consoling him then walked away, humming victoriously. The young man he disdained was absolutely right. He wasn't Tsumugi's boyfriend, so he had no right to put a leash on the pianist. However, for some strange reason, Francis couldn't accept just letting Pierre walk away with the win. Was it pride or was it love? He didn't know. Taking a deep breath, he picked up a phone and made another international call to Japan.

"Jun, we have a relative who owns a clothier here in Montreal right?" Francis said, "How do I get to her? I need a mask, a damn good mask."

* * *

7PM on the day of the Masquerade. Francis laid flat on his bed with an arm over his temple. Moments earlier, the pianist came over to his suite all dressed up for the masquerade to ask him if he wanted to go to the Place des Arts together. Francis, who wasn't dressed up at that time, said that he wasn't really interested in gatherings like that and said that he would pass. Tsumugi would try to convince him, but Francis assured her that he was adamant on not going.

"So, do you want me to stay instead?" Tsumugi asked, "I can stay here with you, you know."

"Nah, I'll be fine." Francis said, "You on the other hand should go, unless you don't like masquerades."

"I don't dislike masquerades…" Tsumugi said, "But…"

"Go then." Francis insisted, "Who knows, you might just meet that Mr. Right on the floor."

The pianist hesitated but eventually heeded to Francis' insistence. They bid each other farewell and Francis closed the door. Tsumugi, a little bit confused leaned against the door to ponder for a moment and whisper the rest of her words to nobody.

"I wanted to go with you…"

To her surprise she felt the door budge a little bit – the half-Canadian leaned on the door as well. There was a lot going through his mind.

"What could he be thinking about?" Tsumugi thought as she leaned there. She couldn't seem to figure him out, no matter how much she wanted to. Not wanting to be late, the pianist got up and went on to the Masquerade as Francis stayed.

Back in the room, as Francis lay on his bed, he couldn't get the image of the dress Tsumugi wore out of his head nor did he intend to. Later that night, he would be searching for that dress again and keep Pierre away from her at all costs. He would dance with her if he had to. At the same time, he didn't want to be found out. For that reason, he and Jun contacted their relative who owned a clothier to lend Francis an outfit for the night.

The suit, slacks, shirt and shoes that Francis had brought with him for the Philharmonic were slightly tattered, worn but well-maintained, much like many of the things on Francis' person. The attire he would borrow that night however was sharp, elegant and brand new with a sleek black mask to boot. In that attire, even his sister Jun wouldn't be able to recognize him. It would serve the purpose he had intended it to.

Fifteen minutes after Tsumugi left for the masquerade ball, Francis left his suite and headed over to the clothier near the Place des Arts to claim the attire his relative had reserved for him. He dressed up there and headed straight for the Place des Arts. Normally, it would be strange for a man in a mask to walk through the streets of Montreal, but the Masquerade was a fairly large event and there were masked men and women at the courtyard of the Place des Arts so he didn't feel too out of place.

His breath fogged up as he made his way though the snowy courtyard and into the main theater where the Masquerade was being held. Blending in with the crowd, he sneaked past the guards at the entrance who were taking attendance and got into the theater. The half-Canadian was welcomed to the ball by Frank Sinatra's version of Blue Moon performed by a local brass band for the event. From where he stood, he saw Pierre dancing with a couple of girls on the floor, going from one girl to another. There were a lot of young girls attending the party, meaning Pierre would probably take his sweet time, but Francis didn't want to take a chance. He wanted to find Tsumugi that instant.

"_Blue Moon,_

_You saw me standing alone_

_Without a dream in my heart_

_Without a love of my own."_

As the song played, Francis cut through the crowd, making sure that his mask stayed on. It was troublesome, having to look for one girl in a sea of masked faces, but he remembered her dress well. He would know her when he saw her. He believed he would.

"_Blue Moon,_

_You knew just what I was there for_

_You heard me saying a prayer for_

_Someone I really could care for."_

Then he found a girl, standing there in the middle of the floor. She stood there as if lost in the crowds and looking for someone, the way he pictured she would back when they parted in the suite. It was Tsumugi.

"_And then there suddenly appeared before me_

_The only one my arms will hold_

_I heard somebody whisper 'Please adore me'_

_And when I looked, the moon, it turned gold_."

He approached her, evading the other couples already dancing on the floor. The crowd thickened and he found it harder and harder to make his way through. Topping things off, Pierre was making his way to the middle as well. Pressing onwards though, Francis made his way through and appeared before the girl, extended his hand and offered to dance.

She was taken aback at first, thinking he was just another face in the crowd. This was the reaction Francis imagined she would have, but what came afterwards was what surprised him. Tsumugi smiled and accepted his offer then the two started to dance to the song.

"_Blue Moon,_

_Now I'm no longer alone_

_Without a dream in my heart_

_Without a love of my own."_

Emotions swelled as the music did. Tsumugi held on to Francis' shoulder and Francis held on to her back as they waltzed in their little spot in the middle. All the while, they looked through the masks they wore and into each other's eyes. They danced on, well into the night. Sinatra's Blue Moon and the myriad of songs the brass band played had already passed, people were retreating from the floor and the ball was coming to a close. The two of them however were still together there, oblivious to it all.

"Who are you?" She asked as her eyes sparkled in amazement.

"I am no one important." Francis said, speaking in a husky voice, "Just a stranger who happened to pass by."

As he said this, the pianist looked at him longingly and her lips were starting to pucker. The hand she had on his shoulder slowly pulled him towards her and she closed her eyes. Just then, he realized that they were the only ones left on the floor and that the masquerade was over. A couple of guards were talking to each other, referring to their list of attendees, looking at Francis with suspicion.

"I have to go." Francis said

"Will I ever see you again?" She asked, not wanting to let him go

"Oye!" One of the guards then cried, "That lad's a party crasher, he is! Get him!"

"Sorry!" Francis gasped, letting go of the pianist and making a run for it. A handful of guards then came chasing after him. Left on the floor though, Tsumugi looked at the hand that had held Francis' fondly, put it close to her heart.

"You were Suzuki-kun, weren't you…?"

* * *

Meanwhile, behind the main theater, Francis sprinted for his life in the moonlight. The guards chasing after him just wouldn't give up. As he passed by an alley though, someone swiftly caught him and pulled him in.

"Shh, be quiet, asshole…" said the man who pulled him, "The guards will hear you."

Francis held his breath for a moment and the guards came thundering past the alley. He had ditched them. Now relatively safe from danger, Francis turned to the man who had pulled him out of there and was surprised to see Pierre MacDonald. He was disgusted.

"Hey, hey." Pierre shrugged, "I just saved your petit buttocks. You should at least be thankful."

Francis sighed and just dusted his rented attire. He was still in costume, so he figured he would just make some sort of thankful gesture and walk away without revealing himself. Pierre however wasn't intent on letting Francis go just yet.

"You pulled off quite a feat there, Mr. Mask." Pierre said, "Being a ladies' man myself, I must say I was quite impressed."

The masked Francis just grunted, asking him to get to his point.

"And what's with that silence?" Pierre laughed, "I know who you are."

Francis was shocked. Before he could react though, Pierre undid the strap of his mask, revealing Francis' face.

"Tsk, tsk, Monsieur Suzuki." Pierre said, "Playing with the mademoiselle's heart like that."

"Might I say the same about you, MacDonald?" Francis retorted, "How many girls did you dance with tonight?"

"Thirty-three on last count. Made out with them all."

"You're disgusting."

"Well, they all know my name." Pierre counted, "I may be disgusting to you, but at least I'm honest. I have nothing to hide. You however cower behind that mask of yours."

"I'm not…"

"I pity you, boy." Pierre continued, "How long can you go through life wearing that mask? How long can you go hiding your true feelings?"

"My true feelings…? No, that's not it…"

"Your intentions for tonight were honorable – to keep a grease ball like me away from mademoiselle Kotobuki." Pierre admitted, "I was just planning to flirt around after all, nothing serious. However, you may also be the biggest asshole I have ever met in my life."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know if you understand or not, but with the way things are going, you're going to hurt her… no… you're going to hurt each other."

"I just want to keep being her friend, and I'm sure she wants to do the same." Francis argued

"But how can you say that she thinks that way?" Pierre asked, "And how do you know that you're not meant for something more?"

Francis was silenced by his query.

"Well boy, I have to go and bid everyone farewell. I won't be with you guys beyond tonight." Pierre said, ruffling Francis' hair, "But you have to make yourself clear in situations like this. Do you love her or not? There is no in between. Think about that."

Pierre left Francis there in the alley, puzzled. The half-Canadian put his hands in his pockets and walked back to the clothier to return his attire. Though he tried to refuse, the relative insisted that Francis keep the mask. She wouldn't be able to sell a used mask after all. Francis accepted the gift and headed on back to his suite, hoping to get there before Tsumugi did.

He reached his place, changed into less fancier clothes and laid on his bed again with conflicting feelings in his heart. For a moment, he thought about giving his sister a call to help him sort things out but he decided against it. This was something he would have to deal with on his own, after all. Just then, there was a knock at his door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Tsumugi. I just got back from the ball, may I come in?"

Sighing, Francis peeled himself off the bed and opened the door for the pianist. She looked happy.

"So, Kotobuki-san." Francis asked, acting innocent of what he did earlier, "Did you find somebody to dance with?"

"I did." Tsumugi said with a smile, "He came up to me, a complete stranger, and offered me a dance. Though we had only just met, we danced the night away."

"He must be a lucky man." Francis said, referring to himself as someone else, "Did his dancing suck?"

"He wasn't an expert." Tsumugi chuckled, "But I enjoyed every bit of it."

"Do you know who he is?"

"He said that he was no one important." Tsumugi said with a sigh, "I never got to truly know him."

"Is that so…" Francis said, trying to keep the conversation going in that direction, "Well, I'm jealous of you! I should have gone to that ball, no? I might have met someone to dance with too."

"You should have!" Tsumugi said, playing along with Francis' game, "Gosh, you missed out, Suzuki-kun."

"I did, huh…"

"Don't worry though." Tsumugi reassured, "I can introduce you to some very interesting people back in Osaka. I'm sure you would love to make their acquaintances."

"Really? That would be awesome!"

The Tsumugi he had danced with on the floor of the theater of the Place des Arts and the Tsumugi he chatted casually with there in his hotel suite. If Francis were to choose that moment, he would be compelled to choose to be with the latter. There, sitting face to face at the dining table, neither of them had their masks on as their conversation quickly shifted to their usual nonsense. This was the fragile peace and certainty Francis wanted to keep, the reason why he fights so hard against the emotions that constantly well up in his heart.

Tsumugi too enjoyed the company of Francis as her friend. Unlike him though, she welcomed those emotions Francis fought against and slowly let them grow. Unlike him, she understood what she felt and understood that Francis didn't understand what he feels. To be with him like that however was enough for her and she just wanted the boy she liked to be happy.

Silently, the two of them decided to keep their silence about the matter. They would bask in that fragile peace and certainty while it lasted. As long as they kept steady footing, neither one would give in. However...

"Kotobuki-san!" Francis cried, watching as the half-Finnish girl slid through the sidewalk on the streets of Montreal

It was 9:30AM the next morning and Francis and Tsumugi had gone off on their own to walk to the Place des Arts for their final practice before the performance. The path they took however hadn't been salted yet and parts of the sidewalk were covered in sheets of ice.

"Oh my!" Tsumugi squeaked, "I've never skated on the sidewalk before!"

As Tsumugi was enjoying herself, the end of the road was fast approaching and a large snow plough was rolling through the main road. If the pianist kept going the way she was going, she would slam straight into the plough.

"I'm coming for you!" Francis called out, skating on the sidewalk as well and picking up speed.

The pianist and the violinist were adamant about keeping the things the way they were, as long as they had both feet on the ground. When they're sliding through ice though, when all friction is lost, their paths were meant to be intertwined.

Francis eventually caught up with the pianist and held on to her hand tightly. With a strong tug, he pulled the two of them out of the icy path and into a pile of snow, a snowbank. The two of them lay there on their backs and looked up to the sky, still holding on to each other's hands. Once they realized what had just happened, the two of them started laughing heartily.

"Can we stay here like this?" Tsumugi asked, "Just a little while longer?"

"Why not?" Francis sighed, feeling his back ache from the fall, "I need to catch my breath."

That crash would turn out to be Francis and Tsumugi's favorite anecdote to tell to all of their friends back in Osaka. Secretly though, it was a moment that showed them what the two of them were truly looking for. It wasn't the peace and certainty they had convinced themselves to seek – they truly sought each other.

They were both just afraid to admit it.

**The End**


End file.
